Clifton's Closes Its Cafeteria; Will Food Ever Return to the Downtown Landmark?

A friend alerted me this weekend that downtown's Clifton's Cafeteria is closed for food service, and is currently only operating as a nightclub. That's quite a bummer — it's always a fun spot to bring the kids and visitors, to explore the forest-themed environs on the first floor. It was the start place for the Great Los Angeles Walk in 2015, and was the perfect place for the "Twin Peaks" premiere party in 2017.

Opened in 1935 as Clifton's Brookdale, we visited the forest-themed eatery several times before new owner Andrew Meieran (who previously created downtown's famed Edison bar) shut it down for what was supposed to be a brief renovation in 2011.

Cut to nearly five years later, and rebuilding Clifton's became a labor of love for Meieran, who has kept the fun and the kitsch but added so much more to the place. Clifton's finally re-opened in 2015.

Clifton's original famous slogan, of course, was "Pay What You Wish, Dine Free Unless Delighted." Perhaps not enough folks were delighted with the updated cafeteria. I asked Chris Nichols via Twitter what he knew about the shut-down cafeteria portion of Clifton's, and he wrote back: "I also miss eating at Clifton’s. This just in from the owner: 'food is definitely coming back— pretty soon if anyone asks.'"

Clifton's has not done a good job of explaining to people when the food might return; perhaps that's because the ETA keeps changing. Since closing the cafeteria in what appears to be the late spring, they've said "summer," then "fall," and now they're keeping it a bit more vague. On their Facebook page, this is essentially what they're saying if anyone asks:

Unfortunately we’re closed today as we complete our Exposition Marketplace. We look forward to seeing you soon and to a year of extraordinary endeavors! Our Marketplace will feature an array of historic offerings and traditional favorites as well as amazing new classics!

Stay tuned -- but here's hoping we'll be dining under the trees once again soon.

Celebrate the New Clifton's Cafeteria with the L.A. Conservancy

Can't wait to finally see the completely renovated Clifton's Cafeteria? On Monday, September 21, Clifton’s opens with an event to benefit the Los Angeles Conservancy. Per the Conservancy:

Guests will be among the first to visit the iconic downtown restaurant after its multi-year, multi-million-dollar renovation by owner Andrew Meieran.

The event will run from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m., and general admission is $125. Guests will explore the beautifully restored and reimagined first-floor cafeteria, as well as the new Monarch Bar on the second floor. They’ll enjoy passed hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and entertainment, plus full dinner and dessert—by going through the cafeteria line, of course. Tickets are available at laconservancy.org/cliftons-2015.

A limited number of VIP tickets also include a behind-the-scenes talk with Meieran and a tour of the third and fourth floors, which won't open until later this year. (Note: As of this writing, fewer than twenty VIP tickets are available; we expect to sell out of them this week.)

Go here for more info or to purchase tix.

Scenes from The Streets of New York City

There's no better New York City experience than a jackhammer right outside your hotel, right? Here are some more shots from a week in NYC:


"Everywhere you look!" I tell ya, the fan base for "Full House" is unstoppable.


New artwork in Madison Square Park. It's the 500-foot long "Fata Morgana" by New York-based artist Teresita Fernández. The park's Conservancy calls it "the largest and most ambitious outdoor sculpture to date. The outdoor sculpture, which will consist of 500 running feet of golden, mirror-polished discs that create canopies above the pathways around the Park’s central Oval Lawn.


Seeing this key art for "San Andreas" on the streets of New York surprised me. Sure, it's been 14 years, but are New Yorkers OK with seeing a photo of a plume of smoke rising from a burning skyscraper?


More public art! Currently on display in Rockefeller Center, where the Christmas tree is positioned during the holidays: Thomas Houseago's new commission "Masks (Pentagon)." Details:

Thomas Houseago’s new commission Masks (Pentagon) will be on view on the plaza April 28 – June 12. The exhibit, organized by Public Art Fund and Tishman Speyer, will be free and open to the public. Designed specifically for Rockefeller Plaza, Masks (Pentagon) consists of five masks ranging in height from 14.5 to 16.5 feet, each of which reflects a different approach to the stylized representation of the human face, from the clearly recognizable to the highly abstracted. As each colossal face looks out towards the surrounding cityscape, the spaces between them become “doorways” that give access to an interior “room”. From inside, the mask’s eyes will create windows that frame views of the landscape and skyscrapers of Midtown Manhattan.

At the site of the recent East Village building blast, which killed two. A few more pics:








East Village street festival


Healthy eats


Noodles from Xi'an Famous Foods


Vintage drug store sign


In line for Big Gay Ice Cream


MCA!


Greg Kelly on Good Day NY: Always a highlight.


I saw one Broadway show, and I recommend it: "Hand to God," about a demented hand puppet. It's as bizarre as it sounds, but an interesting character study. Until the weirdly bloody ending.

"Psycho," "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and More: The 2015 Last Remaining Seats Schedule Is Here

Our favorite event of the year is back! The Los Angeles Conservancy has announced the movie roster for this year's 29th Last Remaining Seats -- and it's the most diverse mix of movies I've seen on the roster that I can remember!

The Last Remaining Seats, which takes place from June 10 – 27, 2014, celebrates downtown's historic Broadway movie palaces by showcasing classic movies, bringing those wonderful stages back to life. And as more of Broadway gets revitalized (see the recent Night on Broadway event), there's even more reason to celebrate.

Tickets for the 2015 season of Last Remaining Seats go on sale March 25 to Conservancy members and April 8 to the general public. Tickets are $16 for L.A. Conservancy members and $20 for the general public. (Go to the LA Conservancy website for more info.) Read all of our posts about Last Remaining Seats here.

Meanwhile, here's what you've been waiting for, the list of this year's screenings:

Psycho (1960)
Wednesday, June 10, 8pm
Million Dollar Theatre

City Lights (1931)
Saturday, June 13, 8pm
Los Angeles Theatre

Dios se lo pague/God Bless You (1948)
Wednesday, June 17, 8pm
Palace Theatre

How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
Saturday, June 20, 8pm
The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971)
Wednesday, June 24, 8pm
Orpheum Theatre

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Saturday, June 27, 2pm & 8pm
The Theatre at Ace Hotel

Downtown's Broadway Came Alive on Saturday Night

For the 7th anniversary of Bringing Back Broadway -- the plan to revitalize downtown's Broadway corridor -- this year the organization decided to bring folks out to celebrate after dark. Last Saturday's "Night On Broadway" celebrated the street's slow and steady return to grace, and, as always, paid tribute to its classic movie palaces. Free performances took place at the Million Dollar, Los Angeles, Palace, Globe, Tower, Orpheum and Ace Hotel (aka United Artist) theaters, and a chunk of the street was closed to traffic, giving room to activities, food trucks, an events stage and more.

"This storied corridor is experiencing a surge in new retail and restaurants, and is emerging as a focal point for creative office and boutique hotel development," the organization notes. Indeed, it will be fascinating to see what Broadway looks like a decade from now. Meanwhile, here are some pics from Saturday's event:



Exciting to see so many people walking up and down Broadway at night!


This was my first time inside the Tower, which hasn't yet been rehabbed, but is now opening up to DJs and bands. On Saturday night, a DJ spun tunes and kept shouting, "LOS ANGELES!" over and over again.



The Tower lobby.



Inside the Tower. Notice there isn't much room for a widescreen. That's because the Tower mostly showed newsreels back in the day.



"Arnie" outside the Palace Theatre.



The grandest of all the movie palaces on Broadway (even if it needs a rehab), the Los Angeles Theatre.



One of the night's more unusual (and popular!) attractions: Free haircuts, right there on the street!



Mariachi band performs to a large crowd on the street.



The audience at the Million Dollar Theatre waits for a show to begin.



The magic of Sebastian Kraine, on stage at the Million Dollar Theatre.



Comedian magician David Kovac, also at the Million Dollar, wowed the kids with his impressive act.



Those sound like tasty ice pops.



Street art



Coincidentally, I saw someone dressed like Charlie Chaplin enter one of the theaters. Weird coincidence?



It is taking WAY too long for Clifton's, closed since 2011, to reopen. But this new neon signage is a good indicator that things are still happening. The "Living History" boast is a little odd (and unnecessary) but I'll let that slide.



Outside the Globe.



The best part of the evening was probably watching the String Theory band perform at the Orpheum. They sounded great, and we would have stayed there all night if we didn't have antsy kids.



Required eating next to the Orpheum: Two Boots Pizza.



Orpheum, still decked out for the event.

Here's a roundup from last year's Bringing Back Broadway event.

GO: LA Conservancy's Holiday Matinee Features "Home Alone" This Sunday

A sure sign of December is the Los Angeles Conservancy's annual holiday matinee, held at one of downtown's movie palaces. Last year we enjoyed "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and the year before that, "A Christmas Story," both at the historic 1926 Orpheum Theatre.

This year, the 8th annual holiday matinee is back at the Orpheum with "Home Alone" (1990). Details:

A great event for families, architecture lovers, and film fans, the Conservancy’s eighth annual holiday matinee begins at 2 p.m., allowing time before or after the film to explore the theatre, the Broadway Historic District, and downtown Los Angeles.

Doors will open at 1:15 p.m., and guests will be ushered in to the tunes of holiday classics performed by Tony Wilson on the Orpheum’s famous Mighty Wurlitzer organ, the last remaining theatre organ on Broadway.

Guests can show their movie tickets at nearby restaurants for special discounts*: Umami Broadway (852 S. Broadway) will offer a 10% discount per table, and Two Boots Pizza (826 S. Broadway) will offer a 30% discount per order. Two Boots will offer a special pizza just for the day, “The Marv,” inspired by the film.

Make a day of it -- go ice skating in Pershing Square. Go get a drink at Perch. Buy some holiday gifts at The Last Bookstore. It's a great way to get into the holiday spirit. Tickets are available at laconservancy.org/holiday.

Back to the Future with the LA Conservancy's Last Remaining Seats

It's one of our favorite events of the year: The LA Conservancy's Last Remaining Seats. And this year, even more so: For the first time, we brought the Blogger Kids, in order to experience one of the most recent movies the festival has ever shown: 1985's Back to the Future. And almost as cool, this was our first chance to see Broadway's United Artists Theatre -- now known as the Theatre at the Ace Hotel.

The United Artist Theatre was closed to the public for years, and only open to members of Dr. Gene Scott's church. But after Scott died, his heirs sold the building -- and the Ace Hotel came along and started rehabbing it.

The United Artist was a part of the "Last Remaining Seats" theater rotation in the 1980s, but as it was always touch-and-go through the last second whether or not they could use it, the Conservancy gave up trying to work with Scott and his church. Now that it's a part of the Ace Hotel, this was the first "Last Remaining Seats" screening there in decades.

And there was no better movie to show there than "Back to the Future." There's even a bit of a preservation theme to the movie -- the whole reason that Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) knows about an impending lightning strike is because he holds on to a flyer from a group of preservationists trying to restore an old clock tower.



The Blogger Kids enjoyed the movie, as well as the souped-up DeLorean parked out front. I also enjoyed seeing just how elaborate the United Artists was decorated inside. One of the final theaters built during the heyday of downtown's Broadway Theatre movie palaces (opened in 1927), the United Artists was built by the studio and theatre chain found by Mary Pickford and others looking to break away from the studio system.



From the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation website:

The opening of the studio's F1agship premiere house in LA marked the beginning of a theatre chain that was one of the nation's largest. Mary Pickford herself selected the site and the architect spending so much money that the plaster cast molds had to be re-used in Detroit and Chicago to amortize their cost. Although C. Howard Crane of Detroit was engaged to design his only theatre west of Omaha (not counting Sydney, Australia), the 12 story office frontage for the complex was designed by the L.A. firm of Walker and Eisen for a long term lease by Texaco for their western regional offices. The UA Building was the tallest privately owned structure in LA until 1956, when the city finally repealed its Beaux Arts inspired "City Beautiful" concept of a 125foot height limit for everyone but City Hall. In fact, the tower on the roof exceeds that limit but squeezed through on a technicality since it was unoccupied space used to house elevator equipment, sprinkler system reservoir, and other equipment. The building permits described it as "signage."

More:

The style of the building was originally described as "Spanish Gothic," a rare combination for an auditorium. Much of the plaster decoration around the building entrances and in the auditorium are copies from the Cathedral at Segovia, although the Spaniards themselves never contemplated anything on this scale. The lobby of the UA is half a block long, separating the auditorium from an adjacent office building.

More:

The theatre was closed briefly during the depression, then reopened to spotty attendance, due to the relatively remote location it occupied too far south on Broadway. Saddled with a 50 year lease they couldn't break, UA decided in 1956 to day and- date first run with their Hollywood houses by remodeling the UA for 70mm Todd- AO wide screen projection. The booth was relocated from the second balcony to the main floor, a curtain and a screen were installed in front of the proscenium (necessitating the removal of some decorative elements), and the first balcony or "golden horseshoe" was removed to guarantee sightlines from the back corners of the orchestra level. The remodeling cost over $200,000. The theatre reopened with a first-run engagement of "Oklahoma," which soon closed, as did the theatre. After being dark for the next 10 years, the UA reopened as a Spanish language movie house, in surprisingly good condition as a result of the wear and tear it was spared in the early 60's.

More:

Several notable features of the UA include the auditorium murals depicting the history of the film industry, featuring UA players, of course. The fire curtain bears an adaptation of the Shakespeare quote "The Picture's The Thing" implying the ultimate triumph of the motion picture over performing arts. The theatre also contains one of the most ambitious lighting systems of its time, controlled by an immense 35 foot, pre-set control board. All ceiling fan vaulting is backlit, as are organ screens, illuminated in layers. The ceiling dome is indirectly floodlit, and can be adjusted to contrasting and changing color combinations. The 4 manual Wurlitzer was removed in 1955, but an orchestra pit lift still functions (outliving those at the Hollywood Pantages and downtown Paramount.)

The Gene Scott era kept the theatre intact, leading us to today's rehab. Some more pics from our visit on Saturday: